Lawn mower



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` LAWN MowER Filed June 30, 1941 Vshee'cs-Sheef. l

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` H. MEITZNER LAWN woman44 Filed June 3o, 1941 s Sheets-sheet 5 specified.'

Patented May 18, 1943` "1 i l UNITED PATENT fQFFICE 5 f "`2,319,4z5 y t t LAWN Mowna Y Haakon Meitzner, Houston, Tex. Annotation June so, 1941, serial No. 400,446

aclantis. y (C1. `senz/wtheir outer sides `being l .lIhis invention relates toa mower and has particularrelation,toa` lawn mower. b f fAn.object of the invention istoA provide a mow.-I

er of the character described wherein the cutter blades are-in the form vofnanendless band or belt v l `withjthe runs of the belt arranged in adjacent relation throughjthe ,cutterbar, said ladjacent .runs being movable in opposite directions so that the cutter blades will cooperate with shear-like .L

effect to cutvthe grass as the machiney is pro-l pelled along. y

. Another object 'of the invention toprovide.,

ina mower, means for adjusting theadjacent .lllns 0f the belt M proper cutting relation.`

" i y VMeans have also beenprovidedwror regulating the tensionof the belt and for mounting the belt in a novel manner and operatively connecting the same with the ground wheels "of, the mower so that the belt willbe drivenas the 'mower moves forwardly but will bedisconnected from the 4driving means upon rearward movement of the mower. y

ment `of parts, an exampleof 4which is 'given'in this specification and i11ustrated' in thevaocorn-V panying drawingswhereinz ,ff L `Figurel shows avertical sectional view.

Figure 2 shows a sectionalview taken onf the .line'2-2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary plan 'view of the4V Vtoadjus'tthe cutter blades into endless belt on which the cutter^ blades are formed.

Figure on the line 4-4 of` Figure "l `and shown partly broken away; and

l Figure 5 shows a fragmentary horizontal sect tional view taken on the lineE--B of Figure 1. 4

Referring now'more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate the same partsin each of the gures, the main secured to the ends of whichare the `similar discs and which are formedi-with the central hubs 3, 3. 3

The numerals 4, 5 designate theground wheels of the mower which are substantially Smumnaiffering ndetails As .will be noted iroman inspection of Figure 1, these wheels are of shellflike construetion,`

4 shows a vertical sectional'view taken frame of the machine consists of the cross-bar I` @my `in awmnnner hereinafter ing marginsof the wheels4,-5. l

v Within the wheels and enclosed `by the corre` sponding discs .are the yokes 6, 1 havingjthe outwardly extended spindles 8, 9, whose outer ends mounted on anti-friction bearings I2, `I3'around Y said spindles `and these bearingsmaybe `supplied with a lubricant through grease gun connections "I4, I5 of conventionalconstruction whichv are screwed .into the outer endsfof the spindles and which clamp the respective retainer plates I3,4 I1 against the outer ends of the wheels tolclosesaidA bearings."

The inner sides of the yokes 6, 1 have the' cen` tral `bosses I8, I9 in abutting relation with the corresponding discs 2. 2` and which are secured Vin that relation by means of the bolts `211,21 which are tted through the hubs 3, 3 and screwed into .the yokes 6,11 and which have the enlarged polygonal heads 22, 23 thereon` which abutthe outer ends ofthe hubs 3; 3 when the saidbolts` are screwed home.

e inner ends or the pelled in any preferred manner, preferably by the usual Y handle which has the diverging handle bars 26, 21 provided Awith bearings to receive the Pins 24, 25, `said handle `bars -being Asecured` against detachment by means foi the cotter keys 28; 29. The facing'sides of the discs 2 have the inwardly extended bosses 30, 30 and 3|, 3l arranged on oppositesidesof the corresponding handle-'bars 26,` 21, as-more :clearly shown in `Figure-rand adjusting bars a2, az andes, sa

yokes, 1 are the drums 36, 31 around which the endless travelling'belt 38 operates.` This belt; is formed of suitable ilexible material such as steel:

and its forwardmargin is serratedforming the cutter blades 39 whose margins are inwardly bevelled asv more `clearly shown inA Figure 3 "to provide sharp cutting edges at the margins of the e enclosed and their inner-V *sides being enclosed -by the circulandiscg 2. 2 1 whose` margins t closely within thecorresponcl` bolts 2g, 2|` are extended" forming the pins 24, 25. v The mower may be pro- 1 cutters. The belt works through openings 40, 46 in the lower portions of the discs 2, 2.

'I'he drums 36, 31 have the bevelled gear wheels 4|, 42 fixed thereon which are in mesh with, and are driven by, bevelled pinions 43, 44 which are loosely mounted on the corresponding spindles 45, 46. and rotatable therewith are the spur gears 41, 48, the former of which is driven by a spur gear wheel 49 fastened to the inner side of the wheel 4 and the latter of which is driven `by the ring gear 50 fastened to the inner side of the ground wheel4 5. It will be noted that the gear 49 .is an external gear and the gear 50 is an internal gear so'as to cause the drums 36, 31 to rotate in the same direction. The adjacent hubs of the gears 43, 41 and` likewise the adjacent ends of the hubs of the gears 44 and l48 are'formed with interengaging clutch teeth, designated generally by' the numeral 5|, Figure 5, which teeth are normally held in engagement by springs, such as L 52 which surround the corresponding spindles 45,

Also mounted onI these spindlesr 46. 'Ihe clutch teeth 5l are pitched so as to engage and transmit rotation to\the drums 36, 31 as the machine is propelledv forwardly'but to disengage upon reverse movement of the machine. "The inner run of the endless belt' 38 passes around the rollers 53, 54 mounted on the lower ends of the yokes 6, 1. These rollers are mounted onv the corresponding spindles 55, 56 between the inner stops151, 58 and the outer retaining nuts'as 59, Figure 2. The spindles 55, 56 are 'extended through oblong slots 60, 60 of the yokes 6, 1 so that the rollers 53,. 54 may be adjusted toY regulate the tension on the endless belt 36. The spindles, may be secured at any point of adjustment by suitable lock nuts as 6|.

The outer run of the endless belt 38 passes around the respective vseries of roller bearings 62, 63 suitably mounted on the lower ends of the yokes 6, 1 as more clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. Q'Ihe upper side ofY the forward margin of the cross-bar I is countersunk approximately from end to end thereof and on the bottom of this countersunk portion there is a wear plate 64 over which the outer run of the belt 38 passes and spaced abovethe wear plate 64 there is a h similar wea;` plate 65 beneathwhich the inner run of the endless belt 38 passes and overlying the wear plate 65 Vthere is a tension plate 66 which is fastened to the crossbar I by tensioning screws 61 as shown in Figures 1 and 4. It will thus be noted that the endless belt 38 carrying the forwardly extended cutter blades travels through between the wear plate 64, 65 with the runs substantially in contact and travelling in opposite directions so that the cutter blades 39 will operate,` with shear-like effect, upon the grass to be cut.

Countersunk into the lower side of the crossbar l, and extending approximately from end to end thereof there is the cutter-bar 68 Ywhich may be secured to the cross-bar by means of set screws as 69 and vthe forward margin of this cutter bar has the forwardly directed spaced cutter guards 10 as shown more accurately in Figures 1 and 4, which serve the usual purpose of guarding the cutter blades but which are spaced apart to penetrate into the grass to be cut and not to interfere with the operation of the blades on the grass.

, 0n opposite sides of the openings 40 the discs 2, 2 are provided with the spaced webs 1|, 1I and 75 12, 12 which support the longitudinal spindles 13 and 14. Rotatably mounted on these spindles are the rollers 15, 16 which bear against the inside run of the belt 38 to hold it in close contact with the outer run thereof at the opposite ends of the cutter bar.

The drawings and description are illustrative merely while the broad principle of the inventiony will be dened by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A mowing machine comprising a. frame, ground wheels mounted to rotate on the frame, an endless belt formed with marginal cutter blades, means within the wheels for mounting the belt, means within the wheels for driving Athe belt, meansmounted partly in the Wheels and partly on the frame for causing the runs of the belt to travel in adjacent relation across the frame whereby the blades will becaused to cooperate with shear-like effect.

2. A mowing machine comprising a frame, ground wheels therefor, an endless. belt formed with cutter blades, means carried by the frame within the wheels on which the belt is mounted for movement, means operatively connected with the means on which the belt is mounted for driv- .with cutter blades, means within the wheels on which the belt is mounted for movement, means' operatively connected with the wheels and with the belt mounting means for driving the belt from the wheels,'means within the wheels for causin-g the runs of the belt to move in adjacent relation across the frame to effect cooperative action, with shear-like effect, of the cutter blades, means for adjusting the tension of the' belt, the belt driving means for each wheel including al clutch which is disengageable upon rearward movement of the corresponding wheel.

4. Al 4mowing machine comprising a frame, ground wheels on which the frame is mounted, an endless belt formed with cutter blades, means within the wheels on which the belt is mounted for movement, means connecting the wheels with the means on which the belt is mounted for driving the belt from thewheels, means around which the belt moves for causing the runs of the belt to move in adjacent relation across the frame toeect cooperative action, with shear-like eiect, of the cutter blades and means for regulating the spacing of the adjacent runs of the belt relative to each other.

5. A mowing machine comprising a frame, ground wheels therefor, an endless belt formed with cutter blades, yokes on the frame within the wheels, drums mounted on the yokes within the wheels around which the belt operates, driving connections between the wheels and some of said drums whereby the latter are rotated from the.

former to drive the belt, guide means around which the belt moves and whereby the runs of the belt are caused to move in adjacent relation across the frame to eiiect cooperation of the blades with shear-like eifect, the driving connection between each wheel and the corresponding drum including a clutch formed to disengag upon rearward rotation of the wheel. i

6. A mowing machine comprising a frame composed of a cross-bar and spaced discs up- `standing from the ends of the bar, shell-like ground wheelsfwhich areenclosedbysaid discs,

yokes on the frame enclosed by the wheels driv- `ing drums mounted on the yokes within the wheels, gearing, connecting the wheels'with the drums and including clutches arranged to disengage upon'rearward movementsI of the,wheels,`an i t endless belt mounted on the drums to `ne moved thereby, tensioning `rollers over which the `inner run of the belt moves, guide rollersover which the outer runfof the belt moves, cutter blades on the belt, said cross-bar having a guide along r the belt moves, cutter bladeson the belt, said cross-bar having a guide along which the runs which the runs ofzthe belt travel in opposite directions with said blades in cooperative relationship.

7. A mowing machine, comprisingA a frame,

composed of a cross-bar and spaced discs 11P- standing from the ends of the bar, shell-like ground wheels which are enclosed by said discs,

yokes on the frames within thewheels driving drums mounted on the yokes Within the wheels,

gearing for connecting the wheels with the drums,

, f clutchesfor establishing said `connection upon rotation of the wheels in one direction and arranged to disengage upon rotation of the wheels in the other direction an endless belt mounted on the drums to be moved thereby,` tensioning rollers over which the innerrun of the belt moves, guide rollers over which the outer run of of the lbelt travel in opposite directions with said `bladesin cooperative relationship anda blade guard carried bythe cross-bar.'

8; A ,mowing machine having a frame j and ground Wheels for` supporting the` frame, said frame including a transverse cutter bar, drums on the frame within the Wheels, an endless belt beltcarriers carried by the frame and enclosed bythe wheels, an endless belt mounted on the carriers and whose runs are` movable in opposite directions in the cutter bar in adjacent relationship,` said belt having cooperating cutter blades j and means `connecting the wheels to belt carriers whereby the belt maybe driven from the Wheels, as the machine is moved forwardly andclutch means arranged to disengage said' driving means upon rearward movement ofthe machine.

` HAAKON MEITZNER. 

